The Encyclopedia of Christianity, Vol. 5

Overview

Volume 5 of the Encyclopedia of Christianity contains 295 articles constituting the alphabetical entries Si–Z—articles on significant topics ranging from sin, spiritual direction, Sufism, and terrorism to Vatican I and II, Vineyard Christian Fellowship, World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and Zionism.

The Encyclopedia of Christianity is a monumental reference work that addresses the broad interest in Christianity and religion around the world today. Comprehensive, up to date, reflecting the highest standards in scholarship, yet intended for a wide range of readers, the Encyclopedia of Christianity describes the Christian faith and community in their myriad forms today and throughout the 2,000 years of Christian history. The Encyclopedia of Christianity also looks outward beyond Christianity, considering other world religions and philosophies as it paints the overall religious and sociocultural picture in which the Christian church now finds itself in the new millennium.

Written by leading scholars from many countries and cultural backgrounds, the more than 1,700 articles in the complete Encyclopedia of Christianity depict Christianity in its global context. Separate articles for every continent and for over 170 countries examine both the history and the current situation of the Christian faith worldwide. The Encyclopedia of Christianity also portrays Christianity in its widest ecumenical context. Major articles detail Christianity’s rich spiritual and theological diversity in order to inform readers about religious traditions and perspectives beyond their own ecclesiastical frameworks.

In its portrayal of Christianity, the Encyclopedia of Christianity also takes into account the current sociocultural context, including other world religions, secular philosophies, cultural trends, and modern political and economic forces. Covering such current topics as abortion, atheism, Islam, modernity, and psychoanalysis, these articles describe the multifarious settings in which the Christian church today must maintain a credible witness to the ancient gospel. Finally, the Encyclopedia of Christianity presents Christianity in its rich historical context, starting with the biblical tradition and showing how the apostolic tradition developed and how the church has sought throughout history to keep faith with its traditions while engaging the world around it.

Key Features

Over seventy biographical articles on prominent figures throughout church history

The latest, best statistical information, compiled by David B. Barrett, on the religious affiliation and ecclesiastical breakdown of each country and continent

Praise for the Print Edition

Sets the standard for reference works of this kind. . . . Essential; this is possibly the best encyclopedic reference on Christianity.

—William P. Collins, Library of Congress in Library Journal

A timely and ambitious project that brings together theology and the social sciences in a fresh and accessible format.

—Ellen T. Charry, Theology Today

A major resource. . . . Necessary for libraries, students, and teachers.

—Henry Chadwick, Cambridge University

Broad, comprehensive, scholarly, and generally up to date. . . . When complete, this should be the standard reference on Christianity for academic and public libraries.

—Choice

The quality of scholarship combined with the unique approach of providing global, ecumenical, sociocultural, and historical context makes this work an essential purchase.

—Booklist

In a time when serious theological education is often lacking, this great reference work, basic and detailed at the same time, is of immense help for the study of theology, for practical church work, and for general education.

—Hans Küng, University of Tübingen

Not only reliable but interesting—a rare feat for an encyclopedia. Its range is very broad; at the same time the articles maintain considerable depth.

—Robert M. Grant, University of Chicago Divinity School

An outstanding international collegium of editors, consultants, and contributors has brought together a vast amount of information in an accessible, readable form in the Encyclopedia of Christianity.

About the Editors

Erwin Fahlbusch was Honorary Professor in the Department of Systematic Theology the Faculty of Protestant Theology at the University of Frankfurt.

Jan Milic Lochman was an ordained a minister in the Evangelical Church and he taught philosophy of religion and systematic theology at the Comenius Faculty of Protestant Theology in Prague.

John Mbiti is a Christian religious philosopher. He is an ordained Anglican priest and received his doctorate in 1963 at the University of Cambridge.

Jaroslav Pelikan was Sterling Professor of History Emeritus at Yale University. He is the author of more than thirty books, including Jesus Through the Centuries. He has received the Jefferson Award of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the highest honor conferred by the U.S. government on a scholar of the humanities.